Adversity In The Kite Runner

Economic misfortune, the death of a loved one, a career-ending injury: everyone is familiar with life’s hardships and literary characters are no exception. Conflict introduces the idea that an individual does not have all the answers. Through difficulty, personality is not only shaped but also developed. Struggles compel a person to think outside of what they already are comfortable with and work outside of the box, to find a solution to their problems. This plays a pivotal role in the discovery of life lessons or, more commonly known in works of literature, themes. Adversity is an essential part of every academic work because it compels characters to overcome hardships, resulting in the development of new perspectives, to create a meaningful

Complex and dynamic characters are found in any good piece of literature and that is no coincidence. In almost all situations, characters are able to develop into the complex personality they are because of the conflict faced in their storyline. Amir, in the novel “Kite Runner”, is faced with many conflicts as a child such as the “kite running” incident or how to deal with his father's lack of attention and love. The selfish actions that came out of these conflicts fuel the storyline by developing him as a selfish uncaring and immature young boy. By contrast, he retells the story and shows how he has grown into an unselfish and compassionate man through his regretful tone found consistent throughout the work. Self-reflective sentences like “maybe Hassan was the price [Amir] had to pay, the lamb [Amir] had to slay, to win Baba” (Hosseini), show the positive growth that Amir has had into adulthood through his display of guilt and regret. He uses the lamb as a symbol to communicate the sacrificial role that Hassan was forced into because of Amir's actions in response to his many conflicts. As an adult, Amir works to redeem himself and when faced with similar situations to the ones in his past he chooses the selfless path. After conquering this adversity, amir reflects “There is a way to be good again, he’d said. A way to end the cycle. With a little boy. An orphan. Hassan’s son. Somewhere in Kabul” (Hosseini). This quote establishes how Amir has become a changed man through his self-reflection and positive contributions outside of his own benefit. This quote also is used to solidify the theme of guilt and redemption that is consistently hinted at throughout the novel. The decisions he made in the face of the adversity he experienced in the years after led him to make the selfless choice he